Latest news with #GamePass
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
3 new Game Pass games to play this weekend (June 27-29)
It may be hard to believe, but it is already the end of June. This was quite an exciting month, what with Summer Game Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase giving us a great look at some upcoming Xbox Series X games. Tons of those reveals are also going to be coming to Game Pass, but we're still a ways away from most of them. Never fear, though, because Xbox isn't slowing down the cadence of adding fresh new titles to the service for us to enjoy. This month, I think you'll be pleasently surprised by the variety of titles on offer. Whether you're an old-school gamer, indie lover, or want an addictive game to play with friends, I have the best new Game Pass games you should play this weekend right here. Rematch Coming from the team that brought us Sifu, Rematch might seem like a big departure for the studio. However, I find it perfectly lines up with its mentality of making simple but mechanically satisfying controls — only now you're playing soccer instead of fighting. There aren't a ton of moves or any crazy twists here, but that's what makes it so great. The handful of maneuvers you do get have hide a deceptivly high skill ceiling for players who want to master them. If you don't, that's no problem. It is a perfectly enjoyable soccer game to play casually with friends as well. This was a day one addition on Game Pass last week technically but I'm still hooked on it and had to give it a shoutout this weekend. Recommended Videos Rematch is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Warcraft I, II, and III Remastered I feel incredibly old saying this, but it is very likely that a lot of you out there never knew Warcraft before it was an MMORPG. But, over 20 years ago, this series was the king of the RTS genre and that classic trilogy has been fully remastered and are all now available to play on Game Pass. The first game is a bit archaic and clunky, even with the new coat of paint, but still a charming and fun bit of history to experience. The second and third games, though, are still masterpieces to this day. The campaigns are epic and filled with lore WoW fans may have only read about. Warcraft III: Reforged did launch in a rough shape for fans, but thankfully has been fully updated with improved graphics, UI, functionality, and more. Warcraft I: Remastered, Warcraft II: Remastered, and Warcraft III: Reforged are available now on PC. Volcano Princess If you're looking for a more chill vibe this weekend, I have just the game for you. Volcano Princess comes from a Chinese studio and tasks you with preparing the your child to one day rule the kingdom. You will build up her stats by getting her new hobbies, helping her study, train in combat, and interact with the townspeople. It has a disarmingly cute art style and characters and wholesome tone that will instantly grip any simulation fan. This game has already been out on PC for over 2 years now but this will be its console debute so any issues it may have had have already been ironed out. Nothing can prepare you for being a parent in real life, but this is a fun facimily. Volcano Princess is available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Saudi Gazette
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Saudi Gazette
A new collaboration between Ubisoft and Xbox Game Pass to support Rainbow Six Siege X and BLAST R6 esports
The ES Times — Ubisoft has officially announced an exciting partnership with Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's popular subscription platform. This partnership spans the entire 2025 season and includes integrated support for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X and the BLAST R6 esports program. A strong start in Rio de Janeiro The partnership kicks off during Reload 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, the first competitive stop for Rainbow Six Siege X. From now on, fans can expect advanced integration of Game Pass into several key moments of the BLAST R6 season. Among these moments are the November Major and the Six Invitational 2026, where players will notice a distinct presence of the Game Pass brand. Community events and exclusive experiences Throughout the season, Ubisoft and Xbox Game Pass will offer special community activities and dedicated play areas during major esports tournaments. Additionally, players will be able to meet their favorite content creators through exclusive sessions and unique giveaways. As a player who has been following the series for years, I find these initiatives give us, the community, closer opportunities to interact and participate. Special benefits for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers Starting June 2025, Game Pass Ultimate members will receive unique benefits in Rainbow Six Siege X. New offers will also be released continuously throughout the season to celebrate major competitive milestones. While these benefits will launch with Ultimate subscribers, the plan is to expand this support to a broader segment of users in the future. Official statements confirm the importance of the collaboration. François-Xavier Daniel, Ubisoft's Vice President of Esports, said: "We are excited to work with Game Pass to enhance the entire experience within Rainbow Six Siege X. Thanks to BLAST's support, we have the means to deliver enhanced features and premium content to a global audience." Chris Lee, Vice President of Xbox, added: "Our goal is to deliver even more value to Game Pass subscribers around the world. Partnering with Rainbow Six Siege is a strong step in that direction." More details coming soon Additional content, new events, and in-game surprises will be revealed throughout the 2025 esports season.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
As Play Anywhere takes center stage, the future of Xbox has never been clearer: "Our plan is to keep making amazing games and have them reach as many players as we can"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Xbox is getting serious about Play Anywhere. The initiative has existed in some form for a decade, where a single purchase of a video game carries across to any supported device within the Xbox ecosystem. Despite the clear value proposition, Xbox Play Anywhere has largely been sat in the shadow of Game Pass; more of a curiosity than a centrepiece of the platform. But something has changed. Speaking at the Xbox Showcase, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer declared that "we're working to make sure you're able to play our games wherever you are, which is why every new game in the show is Xbox Play Anywhere." The importance of this is easily overlooked amongst the excitement of an exceptional 2025 lineup of upcoming Xbox games, and the tease of a pivotal 2026 offering which could include new instalments to the platform's most iconic franchises: Fable, Forza, Halo, and Gears. "The Xbox business is pretty unique to the industry" Craig Duncan, head of Xbox Game Studios But Spencer's statement is a signal towards the future of Xbox – more critical to the expansion of the platform than any Xbox Game Studios exclusive or day-one entrant into Game Pass could ever be. The way we play is rapidly changing, and Play Anywhere could be how Xbox regains its competitive edge in a marketplace increasingly dominated by Nintendo, PlayStation, and Valve. "The Xbox business is pretty unique to the industry," says Craig Duncan, the head of Xbox Game Studios speaking exclusively with GamesRadar+. "Xbox is a platform. We publish some of the biggest and most-played multiplatform games; we have Cloud Gaming, Game Pass, and Xbox Play Anywhere. Our plan is to keep making amazing games and have them reach as many players as we can, wherever they want to play." To understand the changing dynamics of Xbox in 2025, you need to accept something: whether you like it or not, it's Microsoft's position that everything is an Xbox now – including whatever device you're using to read this article. The platform holder believes that the Xbox Store, Game Pass, and Cloud Gaming are its primary portals into the ecosystem, and that Xbox Play Anywhere will act as the bridge between them. "Recognising that everybody plays in different ways is just so central to what Xbox is trying to achieve – our vision of how we see gameplay evolving," says Roanne Sones, CVP of gaming devices and ecosystem at Xbox. There are over 1000 supported Xbox Play Anywhere titles. If you purchase any one of these video games from any Xbox online store, you'll be able to take it (and your progress) with you to any supported device – allowing seamless switching between console, PC, handheld, and cloud. Now if you only exclusively play Xbox games on console or PC, perhaps this feature doesn't appeal to you. But Xbox has anecdotal evidence and hard data to suggest that you may be part of an increasing minority. "We are really investing in refining the experience of playing your games across multiple devices," says Jason Beaumont, VP of experiences and platforms at Xbox. "What I noticed about my console is that it was just one of a constellation of gaming devices that I use in my house. I'm using my console, my gaming PC, my handheld, and Smart TV apps. I play games everywhere, and I want to be able to pick up my progress and continue that wherever I go." Beaumont is speaking literally here, with Microsoft investing in a collaboration with ASUS to bring the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X to market later this year – handheld gaming PCs that can play Xbox PC games natively, which is undoubtedly a more attractive way to play Xbox games on the go versus the alternative (entrusting your progression to cloud servers and mobile networks). He's also speaking figuratively, to this belief within Xbox that the state of play is changing. "Recognising that everybody plays in different ways is just so central to what Xbox is trying to achieve" Roanne Sones, CVP of gaming devices and ecosystem "Our data shows most console players use two or more devices, and that playing the same game on different devices can be difficult. We also know that the console market growth across generations has slowed," says Duncan. It's why Play Anywhere is the sort of service Xbox is gambling on. Two questions that the company has struggled to answer in the last 12 months are why console players would invest in Xbox over PlayStation when so many of its first-party titles are going multiplatform, and why PC players would purchase games through the Xbox app on Windows when Steam is right there. Here's Duncan's perspective on it: "When you make pro-consumer decisions, you're going to create a strong business now and into the future. We want our game franchises to be as big as possible, while making Xbox the best place to play these games. And our strategy of reaching as many players as we can, anywhere they are, while making it seamless to buy a game once and have it playable across devices is good for everyone." Perhaps Play Anywhere is the answer to both questions, then. A single purchase empowered with cross-progression and cross-entitlement. One which then lets you shift from playing online with friends on console, unlocking achievements on PC, and pick up your play on the move through handheld or mobile devices – your progress, community, and library right there with you. It's a compelling concept, particularly if Spencer's assertion that there's "28% growth in players playing our games on multiple devices, year over year" is evidence of changing consumer trends. One way to look at this is that Xbox is taking proactive steps to meet players. Another is that this shift in strategy is the result of another generation cycle spent in last place – PlayStation recently announced that it has no plans to change its strategy or platform initiatives. Regardless, it's difficult to begrudge Microsoft for wanting to get ahead of a trend rather than be caught following it. The question, of course, is what incentive developers have for supporting something like Xbox Play Anywhere – a service that only works if players are aware that it exists, and if more games are willing to support it. Marcus Morgan, executive producer of Grounded 2, tells me that the executives leading the Xbox division "always talk about Xbox in a way of the platform trying to connect to gamers across the globe – no matter who they are, no matter what they want to play. I think that is such a great and ambitious target." That's a sentiment echoed by Brandon Adler, game director of The Outer Worlds 2: "Anything that encourages more people to play my games I'm always going to love… It's why something like the Play Anywhere initiative is great, because it invites more people to play." Much like Game Pass, it was always going to be down to the first-party developers within the Xbox Game Studios network to really drive something like Xbox Play Anywhere forward. But unlike Microsoft's premium subscription service, I get the feeling that Play Anywhere can only truly succeed as a system seller – a platform incentive that could court players away from PS5 and Steam – if it receives wide adoption from third-party studios. Speaking with Anil Glendinning, creative director of There Are No Ghosts at the Grand, one of the breakout reveals from the Xbox Showcase, tells me that Play Anywhere support "felt like a natural fit" for Friday Sundae's debut game. "We've always believed that players should be able to pick up where they left off, regardless of the screen in front of them – it's something that aligns perfectly with the game's structure." "One moment you're redecorating haunted rooms in a British seaside hotel on your console, the next you're unravelling supernatural mysteries on your handheld. That flexibility just made sense," says Glendinning. "When considering Play Anywhere, the main questions we asked were: will this improve the experience for players? Can we deliver parity across platforms? And does it support the kind of seamless immersion we're aiming for? In all cases, the answer was yes." Of the two dozen independent developers and publishers I've spoken with in recent weeks, I'm told that building Play Anywhere support into upcoming projects is relatively simple (as much as anything in the game development process could be considered simple). A three step process which involves joining the ID@Xbox program, implementing cross-progression, and cross-entitlement. Although the general sentiment between this group was that aligning entitlements (which is to say, each device seamlessly registering that a single purchase should be accessible for a player) can be a 'living nightmare' for teams unfamiliar with the process, and that Xbox's support could be stronger. Does Play Anywhere contribute to (or break through) the noise? "We very much view Play Anywhere as an extension of Game Pass and Xbox's commitment to increasing their audience. That will have beneficial implications for developers, but I don't know if it will remove some of the noise from the gaming landscape," says Squanch Games CEO Mike Fridley. "In the long run, if it survives as a service, it will likely increase the noise as more indie and large studios add more and more titles that take advantage of the Play Anywhere feature. In the short run, though, I think it will give studios that are early adopters of the feature the opportunity to stand out. Long story short, the best way to cut through the noise is to make a great game, build a fanbase, and listen to that fanbase. There is no magic bullet to making your game stand out other than quality and availability. Play Anywhere definitely helps increase your availability." Some developers are taking a proactive approach to ensure its future titles are Play Anywhere ready. Rebellion is one prominent independent studio putting its weight behind the service – including 2025's Atomfall. "At Rebellion, we are keen for as many players as possible to enjoy our games, and Xbox Play Anywhere is a great way to help achieve this goal," says Ben Fisher, head of design at Rebellion. "Specifically, we create games using our own in-house engine, Asura, that has support for Xbox Play Anywhere built in. So, it is very straightforward for our teams to ensure that our titles are compatible for Play Anywhere, as well as support Xbox cloud ecosystem and optimise for Game Pass. The Asura engine also scales nicely for PC-based handhelds, which gives us more options beyond streaming and, alongside Xbox Play Anywhere, gives players a wide choice of when and where they can play our games." Speaking on background, other flashpoints raised by developers weighing support include recognition that video games are both taking longer and costing more to create. That cross-play and cross-progression initiatives have altered player expectations. That cost of living crises have changed spending habits, particularly as games reach $80. With Xbox claiming that Play Anywhere increases awareness, grows engagement, and keeps folks playing for longer, can this initiative help developers shoulder the burden of an increasingly volatile market to keep delivering for players? "We strive to create games that we want to play. As fans of gaming and gamers ourselves, whenever we create something that we love or play a game we enjoy, we want as many people as possible to share that fun," says Mike Fridley, CEO of Squanch Games, following the reveal of High on Life 2 at the Xbox Showcase. "Play Anywhere increases the number of gamers that will be able to play our games and partake in that experience." "Yes, there are potential financial benefits to increasing your audience, and for some other studios, that may be a major driver for them. To some extent, being able to sell to more customers is a driver for us as well, just not our major reason for doing it," says Fridley. "We are a very small indie studio whose fate is directly tied to our market success. We don't have a big publisher conglomerate that will be able to absorb costs if one of our games doesn't hit the financial mark. Being on as many screens as possible comes with some financial benefits that help us keep our doors open." Microsoft Gaming has endured yet another challenging generation cycle. Having spent a decade battling to overcome the perception that Xbox Game Studios isn't delivering new titles, the focus shifted just as the first-party floodgates began to open. There was the public battle to acquire Activision Blizzard, reports of Game Pass missing internal growth targets, and an unsteady venture into multiplatform play. And now, with the incoming release of an Xbox handheld and early talk of next-gen hardware on the horizon, the platform holder is starting to gradually realign its pieces on the board. "We want our players to enjoy the games we make and play where they want to play" Craig Duncan, head of Xbox Game Studios "We strive to engage with large communities of players around our franchises, and remove barriers so more people can play together and enjoy the games they love, play with their friends, and connect with likeminded gamers," says Duncan. "It's about playing your favorite games on your Series S or X, having cross-save just work, and your progress coming with you. Or finding new games through Game Pass, or playing cross play with some of our games on PC or that have shipped on other platforms. We want our players to enjoy the games we make and play where they want to play." 'Play Anywhere' is becoming more than an initiative to let you seamlessly carry your digital life between devices, then. It's a mantra which bridges Xbox's multiformat ambitions, its increasing first-party output, ongoing support of Game Pass, and new hardware initiatives. As Xbox looks to its future, with early talk of next-gen hardware on the near horizon, Xbox Play Anywhere is transforming into the sell for the entire ecosystem. Whether it will work, only time will tell. Gears of War: Reloaded campaign preview: If playing this classic campaign co-op with one player on a PS5 and the other on an Xbox Series X is wrong, then we don't want to be right. This is shaping up to be the terrific and loving re-release that builds on the success of Gears' 2015 Ultimate of War: Reloaded multiplayer preview: Both the best and worst thing we can say about returning to the multiplayer mode that once defined our lives is – it's still Gears of War. Chunky, uneven, and punishing. It's a tricky proposition in 2025, but we're so glad Gears is back in Gaiden 4 hands-on preview: It's clear from slicing and dicing waves of enemies that, yes, the joys of the best 3D games in this series are back (and yes, we did manage to beat the boss fight). Talking to the devs, we reflect on the evolution of the action game genre over the last Gaiden 4 interview: Team Ninja and PlatinumGames say that "Soulslikes have kind of taken center stage" since the last installment to the Ninja Gaiden series, but the devs promise that "we are going against the trend in that way" with the upcoming 2025 release of Ninja Gaiden 2 hands-on preview: 30 minutes with a survival game like Grounded 2 is just scratching the surface, but we are already hooked. Talking with the devs, they explain why now was the right time to jump into a full, numbered Grounded 2 an Xbox exclusive? Obsidian won't rule out bringing Grounded 2 to PS5 and other platforms in the future (just as its predecessor did in 2024), but says that this initial release is "all about being in Game Preview and Early Access"Grounded 2 player count: Everything is bigger in Grounded 2, but Obsidian never considered stretching beyond four-players. Speaking to GR+, the studio says doing so "would have undermined what Grounded was really about."Grounded 2 roadmap: Obsidian is targeting updates every "four to five months" after the studio learned the hard way: "When we started with Grounded 1 in early access we were trying to do monthly updates – that was a hassle and it didn't work"ROG Xbox Ally X hands-on preview: With its first handheld, Xbox's 'Play Anywhere' strategy is coming into sharper focus. And I'm not saying I regret buying a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch... but the ROG Xbox Ally X is almost everything I want from a new Xbox Outer Worlds 2 hands-on preview: This sequel feels like one of our favorite RPG devs (they also made Fallout: New Vegas and Avowed) finally got the resources to make a new sci-fi adventure with the scope they deserve. Full of details, choices, and great action, this is shaping up to be Outer Worlds 2 exclusive interview: With The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian Entertainment is dedicated to making sneaky playstyles truly viable in its upcoming sequel: "We have a strike team going room-by-room to see if we can stealth properly through each location"The rising cost of video games: The Xbox Showcase confirmed that The Outer Worlds 2 will be the first video game out of Xbox Game Studios in 2025 to cost $80. Obsidian Entertainment says we don't set the prices for our games" and wishes "everybody could play" its new RPG.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Microsoft Set for Major Layoffs at Xbox, Sales Teams Ahead of Fiscal Year-End
In what could mark its fourth major layoff in just 18 months, Microsoft is reportedly preparing to cut more jobs—this time focusing on its Xbox division and global sales operations. The move comes as the tech giant looks to streamline operations ahead of the close of its financial year on June 30. According to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter, the layoffs are part of a broader company-wide restructuring. Several teams within the Xbox group are expected to be affected, although the exact number of job losses remains undisclosed. The layoffs are anticipated to be substantial and are likely to be officially announced early next week. The Xbox division, responsible for gaming consoles, studios, and services like Game Pass, has already undergone multiple rounds of job cuts over the past year. In 2023, Microsoft closed some of its gaming subsidiaries and reshuffled key roles within the division. Now, with its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard completed, the company appears to be reevaluating its strategy and cost structure for the gaming business. But the job cuts may not be limited to gaming. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft was planning to eliminate thousands of positions across various departments, with global sales teams among those possibly facing reductions. In May, the company reportedly let go of about 6,000 employees, mostly in engineering and product development roles. At that time, sales and marketing staff were largely spared, but this new round of layoffs could change that. One major driver behind the restructuring is Microsoft's ongoing push into artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. The company has invested billions into expanding data centers and developing AI-driven services. As part of this shift, Microsoft has been reallocating resources, including outsourcing certain functions. In April, employees were informed that software sales for small and medium-sized businesses would be handled by third-party firms instead of in-house teams. Microsoft had 228,000 employees worldwide as of June 2024, with about 45,000 in sales and marketing. With multiple teams involved and thousands of roles potentially impacted, the forthcoming layoff is expected to be one of the company's most significant internal overhauls in recent memory. While the company hasn't officially confirmed the layoffs, it has maintained that workforce reviews are a routine part of aligning business goals. Microsoft has also emphasized in recent investor and internal communications a renewed focus on efficiency and curbing non-essential expenses.
India Today
5 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Microsoft to fire more employees next week, said to be fourth biggest layoff in past 18 months
Microsoft is reportedly planning another round of job cuts. This time, it is reportedly targeting its Xbox division, as part of a broader effort to reorganise the company before the end of its financial year. This could be the fourth major layoff at the company in the past 18 months and comes amid growing pressure on the tech giant to focus on profitability, especially after its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in familiar with the matter have told Bloomberg that the layoffs will impact several teams within the Xbox group. Although the exact number of job losses remains unclear, the move is expected to be substantial. These layoffs are part of a larger company-wide restructuring exercise that could also affect employees working in Microsoft's global sales operations. The layoffs are likely to be announced early next week, just before the end of Microsoft's fiscal year on June 30. This is a period when the company typically makes major internal changes and reorganises teams across Xbox division, which handles Microsoft's gaming consoles, game development studios, and digital services like Game Pass, has already seen multiple layoffs over the past year. In 2023 alone, Microsoft shut down some of its gaming subsidiaries and made major staffing changes within Xbox. Now, with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard completed, the company appears to be reassessing its structure and cost strategy for the gaming Reports also suggest that this round of layoffs is not limited to gaming. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is planning to cut thousands of jobs across various departments, including sales. In May, the company reportedly laid off around 6,000 employees, mostly from engineering and product teams. Customer-facing roles such as sales and marketing were largely unaffected during that phase, but they might be targeted this of the reasons behind these cost-cutting measures is Microsoft's ongoing investment in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. The company has committed billions of dollars into building data centres and AI-powered services. To support these high-cost areas, Microsoft is trying to optimise spending in other parts of the recent months, Microsoft has also taken steps to outsource certain functions. For instance, in April, it informed staff that some software sales for small and mid-sized businesses would be handled by third-party firms instead of in-house teams. This again highlights the company's focus on reducing operational costs while concentrating its internal efforts on emerging technologies like to Microsoft's latest employee count, the company had 2.28 lakh workers worldwide as of June 2024, with around 45,000 people working in sales and marketing roles. With so many roles at stake and multiple teams involved, the upcoming layoff is expected to be among the biggest internal reshuffles in recent Microsoft has not officially confirmed the layoff plans, it has previously said that it regularly reviews its workforce structure to align with long-term goals. The company's recent statements to investors and employees have also hinted at a stricter focus on efficiency and a promise to keep non-essential spending under control.- Ends
